AKC Statement Urges New Import Protocols to Protect Pet and Public Health

The American Kennel Club has recently released a statement sounding the alarm about the rising number of dogs imported into this country by opportunistic retail rescue organizations who, themselves are totally lacking in oversight and operate with impunity. The AKC sites statistics from the American Pet Product Distributors Association (APPA) which state that 44% of dog owners "adopt" their pets from shelters or rescues, 25% obtain their pets from a breeder, 4% obtain their pets from a pet shop and 27% obtain their pets from friends, family members or their own bred dogs or strays.

What really sticks out in these statistics is that ONLY 4% OF PETS ARE PURCHASED FROM A PET STORE! So the question bears asking: WHY DID THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA SPEND $MILLION$ DRAFTING AND PASSING A BILL (AB485) THAT BASICALLY PUTS ANY PETSHOP WHO OBTAINS THEIR DOGS FROM A COMMERCIAL PURPOSE BRED ESTABLISHMENT OUT OF BUSINESS??

This was and is bad legislation and was the result of a thorough brainwashing by animal rights activists of Sacramento legislators. No doubt, a few palms were greased along the way.

Now, back to the imports. These are animals coming in from third world countries and they are bringing disease with them. As stated in the AKC Article, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeing an uptick in rabies, canine influenza, screwworm, brucellosis and other infectious diseases directly related to imports. The AKC is calling for better federal oversight of imports and has issued the following position statement:

Pet Imports: Protecting Pet and Public Health – The American Kennel Club recognizes the value of importing breeding stock from overseas, and ensuring that people may travel with their pets with a minimum of disruption. The AKC is also greatly concerned about increasing documented incidences of the importation of unhealthy, random-source pets into the United States, particularly for transfer, where public and pet health may be inadequately protected. AKC supports efforts to better understand the impact of large quantities of dogs being imported into the United States. AKC further supports strengthening efforts to ensure that all dogs imported into the United States are fully immunized, free of infection, parasites and contagious diseases, and are individually certified as such by a qualified veterinarian. No pet should be imported without an individual examination, valid veterinary certificate, and documentation regarding the source of the dog and the party responsible for it upon arrival into the United States.